The Evolution of ABC Importers

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at Northwestern University. My research program investigates the structure, function, and regulation of membrane proteins, with a particular emphasis on ATP-binding cassette (ABC) importers. ABC transporters are a highly conserved superfamily of transmembrane proteins found across all organisms. These proteins utilize the energy from ATP binding and hydrolysis to transport of a broad array of substrates- including metabolites, lipids, peptides and drugs- across cellular membranes. In this perspective, I discuss how structural and biophysical characterization of ABC importers have significantly advanced our understanding of the mechanisms underlying their transport function. I also highlight the challenges in developing a unified mechanistic model and propose that the remarkable diversity of ABC transporters may necessitate multiple transport mechanisms for a complete picture of how these critical proteins function.